Embodiments of the inventive subject matter generally relate to the field of medicine, and more particularly, to automatically assessing drug interactions while protecting patient privacy.
According to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are the fourth leading cause of death ahead of pulmonary disease, diabetes, pneumonia, and accidents including automobile accidents. The cost of morbidity and mortality from ADRs is estimated to be $136 billion annually. In addition, sixty-four percent of patients who visit to a medical provider receive a prescription. The risk of ADRs increases with the number of medications a patient is taking because of interactions among the medications.